Profitability and acceptability of fat- and sodium-modified hot entrees in a worksite cafeteria

Abstract

Objectives: To compare the acceptability of fat- and sodium-modified entrees before and after implementation of a marketing program and to determine the effect offering and marketing these healthful entrees had on total cafeteria and entree sales in a worksite cafeteria.

Design: The research was conducted in five phases, including sales data collection, acceptance testing of unmodified hot entrees, acceptance testing of modified entrees, and implementation of a marketing campaign for promoting low-fat, sodium-controlled food selections.

Setting: The Kansas Farm Bureau and Affiliated Services (KFB) employee cafeteria.

Subjects: KFB employees who ate lunch in the employee cafeteria and were willing to participate in the study.

Main outcome measures: Sales data (percent of customers purchasing a modified entree and sales of modified entree as a percent of total sales); nutrient analysis data (energy, grams of total fat, percent of energy from fat, milligrams of cholesterol, and milligrams of sodium); and acceptability data (11 characteristics were measured using a seven-point hedonic scale).

Statistical analysis performed: General linear model analysis of variance was used to compare sales data from phases 1 to 5 and to compare acceptability data from phases 2 to 4.

Results: No significant differences in sales data were observed during the 7-month study. No significant changes in overall acceptability were found for any entree. However, customers tended to rate overall acceptability higher when entrees were marketed as lower in fat and sodium.

Applications/conclusions: Customers in worksite cafeterias may be more willing to tolerate changes in flavor attributes when modified entrees are marketed as "healthful" and nutrition information is available.